Tub diverter spout



Jan. 7, 1969 A, M, MOEN 3,419,914

TUB DIVERTER SPOU'I' l'orz Sheet Filed Feb. 6, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 Jan. 7,1969 A. M. MOEN TUB DIVERTER SPOUT Filed Feb. 6. 1967 United StatesPatent 3,419,914 TUB DIVERTER SPOUT Alfred M. Moen, 25 Lakeview Drive,Grafton, Ohio 44044 Filed Feb. 6, 1967, Ser. No. 614,197 US. Cl. 4-148Int. Cl. E03c 1/01; F16k 51/00 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Thisinvention relates to a diverter for the spout associated with a bathtub.It is common, in connection with bathtubs, to have a shower fixtureabove the tub and it is desirable to provide simple diverting means sothat when the water is turned on, it may be directed either to theshower or to the tub.

One object is to provide a diverter associated with a tub spout so thatthe user, by simple manipulation, may direct the stream of water eitherto the tub or to the shower fixture.

Another object is to provide a tub spout diverter means which includes apart positioned to be held in sealing relationship with the spout bymeans of water pressure within the spout.

Another object is a tub spout diverter which automatically returns tothe tub position when the water is turned off.

Other objects will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings andclaims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical section through a tub spout showing one form ofdiverter,

FIGURE 2 is a section along plane 22 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a front plan view of the diverter cup valve,

FIGURE 4 is a rear plan view of the diverter cup valve illustrated inFIGURE 3,

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section of a modified form of diverter,

FIGURE 6 is a section similar to FIGURE 5, but showing the diverter inthe raised position,

FIGURE 7 is a section showing a diverter, similar to FIGURES 5 and 6,but with a modified seal, and

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section of yet a further form of the invention.

In FIGURE 1, a tub spout 1, suitable for use in connection with abathtub and intended to be positioned to discharge into a tub, has adownwardly turned discharge portion 2. The spout 1 may have an internalrestriction 3, threaded as at 4, and provided with a discharge opening5, preferably of less diameter than the threaded passage 4. Aconventional water supply pipe 4a may be received in threaded area 4. Avertical face 6 of the restriction 3 may act as a seating surfaceagainst which the diverter valve is seated when in position to, closethe opening 5.

The valve, in form shown in FIGURES 1-4, may include a rigid cup-likemember 7 having a cup arm 8 which has a laterally bent portion 9 at itslower end. The tub spout may be provided with a downwardly extendingboss 16, spaced from the face 6 and having a vertical bore 16a. A stem10 is movable in the bore 16a and carries a knob 11 at its upper end.The lower end of the stem may be attached, for example by a looseconnection, to the laterally bent portion 9. One such connecting meansis a slot 9a in the laterally bent portion 9 of the cup arm 8 whichreceives a reduced portion 12 on the stem 10.

Within the cup 7 is a flexible cup-like sealing member 13 having asidewall 14 which is closely fitted within the sidewall portions of thecup 7 so as to retain the sealing member 13 within the cup 7. The cup 13may be made of a flexible elastic material, such as rubber, and has aface 14a which is adapted to seat and seal against the face 6 of therestriction 3. There may be a passage 15 within the cup 13, whichpassage is in alignment with and larger than the passage 5 in therestriction 3.' Thus, water flowing through the threaded passage 4 mayflow inside of the cup 13.

In operation, the cups 7 and 13 will reciprocate in the space betweenthe boss 16 and the face 6 of the restriction 3. There may be a pair ofvanes or guides 17 on opposite sides of the cup 7 so as to define a paththrough which the cups move during reciprocation. The stem 10, and itsassociated knob 11, are used to move the cups in an up and downdirection and, in effect, to change the direction of water flow from thetub to the shower.

When the diverter is in the position of FIGURE 1, water flowing throughthe threaded passage 4 will flow into the interior of the cups 7 and 13or into the chamber defined by these two cups. Inasmuch as the passage15 is smaller in cross section than the area of water pressureapplication of the cup 13 against the surface 6, water pressure willhold the surface 14a of the cup 13 against the sealing surface 6 andthus hold the cups 7 and 13 in the up, or shower, position of FIGURE 1.The diverter must be moved to the position of FIGURE 1, inasmuch as thenormal position of the diverter is down, so that water will flowdirectly to the tub. The diverter will automatically return to thisposition, once water is shut off, as at that time the weight of the cupsand stem will naturally draw the diverter to the down position. However,once the diverter has been moved to the shower position of FIGURE 1,water pressure within the pressure chamber of the diverter, forcing thecup 13 into a sealing relation with the surface 6, will hold thediverter in an up position.

FIGURE 8 shows a modification of the device illustrated in FIGURE 1. Inthis instance, the diverter is not operated from a knob above the spout,but may be operated by moving a reciprocal plunger 30. The plunger 30may have an upper cup-like portion 31, similar to the cup 7 andenclosing a rubber or elastic cup 13, the same as illustrated in FIGURES1-4. The plunger 30 extends downwardly, below the lower end of thespout, so that it may be manipulated by a persons hand acting frombeneath the spout. The plunger '30 may have a groove 32, and there maybe a screw or the like 33 extending inwardly through the side of thespout into the groove 32. The combination of the groove 32 and the screw33 is effective to guide the plunger 30in its reciprocal movement withinthe spout.

The operation of the device illustrated in FIGURE 8 I is substantiallythe same as shown in FIGURE 1, in that the diverter, in this case theplunger 30 and its associated cup 13, will be held in the up, or shower,position by means of water pressure from within the cup. Once the wateris turned off, the plunger 30 will return to its lower position,illustrated in dotted lines. Although the boss 16 is again illustratedin FIGURE 8, it may be possible to do away with such a boss, providedthere are other means of preventing the first rush of Water through thealigned passages 5 and 15 from disturbing the position of the plunger30'.

In FIGURES 5 and 6, the spout, restriction and the threaded passage haveall been given the same numbers as in FIGURES 14. There may be adownwardly extending boss 26 within the spout, similar to the bossillustrated in FIGURE 8. A plunger, indicated generally at 18, may bereciprocal within the spout and in a path concentric with the downwardlyextending boss 26. The plunger 18 is cylindrical in form and may have apair of spaced annular flanges 19 and 20 which are used to position asealing member 24, in the form of an annular ring, in a fixedrelationship with the plunger. The annular seal 24 may have a pluralityof openings or ports 25 which are positioned in alignment with thepassage 5 in the restriction 3 when the plunger is in the up position ofFIGURE 6. There may be a screw 22 extending through a lower portion ofthe spout so as to act as a guide for movement of the plunger 18.

In operation, when the diverter is in the up position of FIGURE 6, waterflowing through passage 5 will pass through ports 25 t the interior ofthe seal 24. The outward pressure of the water against the annular seal24 will hold the plunger 18 in the up position. Again, the plunger maybe manipulated from below the spout, much as in FIGURE 8. When the wateris turned oif, the weight of the plunger 18 will automatically return itto the down or tub position.

The valve shown in FIGURE 7 is substantially the same as that shown inFIGURE 8, except that the seal has been modified. In this case, thereare a pair of Seals 27 and 28, again held in position by the flanges 19and 20. The seals may be in the form of lip seals which extend outwardly toward the surface 6 and toward the interior surface of thespout. Water passing through passage will pass between the spaced lipseals 27 and 28 and will flow underneath the seal lips, forcing the lipsoutwardly so that they will hold the plunger 18 in the up position ofFIGURE 7. The annular seals 27 and 28 cooperate to define a pressurechamber in the same manner as the annular seal 24.

The invention should not be limited to the precise configuration ofparts illustrated herein. The invention is directed broadly to the ideaof a diverter valve assembly, which may be moved either from a knobabove the spout, or from below the spout. Essentially the diverterincludes a flexible member which is adapted to be forced outwardly intosealing engagement with an internal surface of the spout when thediverter valve is moved to the shower position. The diverter valve willmaintain this position until such time as the water is turned off. Theflexible sealing member is so proportioned that the water within itapplies sufiicient sealing pressure to its exterior to hold the diverterin position to block the tub water passage as long as the water stayson.

The spout housing may be mold formed or cast and used with or without adiverter. There is no machining necessary to prepare the spout housingfor diverter use. The diverter assembly is merely added to the spouthousing as formed.

In all forms of the invention the boss 16 may have a passage for thestem 10. If such a stem is not used or if no diverter is used, the bosspassage assists in aerating the water stream. Even when the stem is usedthe boss passage provides a degree of aeration.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and describedherein, it should be realized that there are many modifications,substitutions and alterations thereto within the scope of the followingclaims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a diverter valve and a spout,

said spout having a water inlet and a water outlet and a water passageintermediate said inlet and outlet,

said diverter valve including means defining a reciprocal pressurechamber, means in said spout for guiding said reciprocal pressurechamber,

said pressure chamber including a sealing portion positioned for sealingengagement with said spout, a passage in said diverter valvecommunicating with the interior of said chamber and said spout waterpassage, with said diverter valve passage being smaller in crosssectional area than the sealing portion of said pressure chamber,

said pressure chamber being movable from a position in which saidpressure chamber is away from said spout water passage to a position inwhich the diverter valve passage is in alignment with the spout waterpassage whereby water flowing into said pressure chamber holds saiddiverter valve in said lastname-d position to thereby close the Waterpassage in the spout.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said pressurechamber includes a rigid cup, and a flexible sealing member, with saidflexible sealing member being positioned for sealing engagement with aportion of the spout.

3. The structure of claim 2 further characterized in that said flexiblesealing member has a cup-like configuration.

4. The structure of claim 2 further characterized by and including aboss in said spout water discharge, a movable step in said boss, withthe lower portion of said stem being fixed to said rigid cup formovement therewith.

5. The structure of claim 2 further characterized by and includingmanual operating means forming a portion of said rigid cup and extendingdownwardly below the spout discharge for use in reciprocating saidcup-like member.

6. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by and including awater discharge chamber in said spout, a hollow plunger reciprocal insaid water discharge chamber, said plunger having annular flexible meanspositioned about it, with said flexible means defining said pressurechamber with the plunger, at least one opening in said flexible meanswhereby water from said spout passage may reach the interior of saidflexible means, a portion of said plunger extending downwardly belowsaid spout discharge for use in manipulating the diverter valve.

7. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that said flexiblemeans is a continuous annular member having a plurality of waterpassages.

8. The structure of claim 6 further characterized in that said flexiblemeans includes spaced lip seals, positioned to define an annular waterpassage between them, such that water may reach the interior of saidpressure chamber.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,166,303 12/1915 Adams 4-1981,666,531 4/1928 Glauber 4-148 2,041,002 5/1936 Kreuzer et a1. 4-1482,627,872 2/1953 Gruen 4-191 2,844,353 7/1958 Gurries 251- 2,911,18511/1959 Langdon 137-525 2,997,058 8/1961 Hall 4-148 3,012,251 12/1961Fife 4-192 3,043,554 7/1962 De La Garza 251-175 3,075,778 1/1963 Bowerset a1. 27727 3,103,948 9/1963 Salmen 251-175 3,160,329 12/1964 Radic eta1 137-525 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,259,021 3/1961 France. 314,719 2/1934Italy.

SAMUEL ROTHBERG, Primary Examiner. D. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl X.R. 4-191

